Thursday Throwback

Welp, there it goes again. Another week just flew by without any consideration for my feelings. In the words of Stephanie Tanner, How Rude!

We're leaving after work today to head back to Colorado for the long weekend. Sunday marks the beginning of a busy wedding season ahead, as one of my best friends from high school gets married in Boulder. I am SO excited to see her walk down that aisle! I have pictures from my own wedding where she was doing the ugly cry in the background as I slow danced with my Dad. I fully expect to be doing the same when I first see her walking toward her JoeJoe. 

We'll also be packing these next couple of days full of family time, happy hours and hikes with friends, and hopefully some relaxation. I can't wait!

And, now for a Thursday Throwback. This picture was taken last month at Keane's Mom's house before we left for Hawaii. (Jeanne, it might be time to take down those Christmas lights...just sayin). 

Keane, his sister Kyla, our niece Lily, and the dogs- April 2012

I love how Lily's hand is resting on Daphne. Ooooh, my heart strings!

Thursday Throwback

In honor of the upcoming holiday...

Easter 1987

I have always loved Easter. It marks the thawing of a season that, if you ask me, has long worn out its welcome. I can't get enough of the bright colors budding from the ground and fresh new air finally flooding into open windows this time of year. 

My memories of this holiday involve waking up too early and anxiously scanning the room for a little basket of goodies. This particular Easter, I was a year and a half and clearly over the moon about my new books and stuffed bunny.

May chocolate rabbits and plastic eggs find their way to you this Easter weekend!

PS- I still have every stuffed animal in this photo, all of which are in mint condition 26 years later. I think it's safe to say my OCD tendencies surfaced early. Embaaaaarrassing. 

Thursday Throwback

December 2009

Four months after Keane and I got hitched, he graduated cum laude from Colorado State University with a degree in Construction Management. If ever an event warranted embarrassing signs, this was it! I was so proud of my mister for finding a subject he was passionate about and working his tail off to get straight A's! His hard work and good grades didn't go unnoticed as he was offered a job with a great company in a down construction industry right out of school. This man has some serious dedication and motivation for greatness. 

You've done well, my love. Very very well. 

xoxo

Thursday Throwback

I had just finished finals week and Christmas was only a couple weeks away. Keane had been spending a lot of time at my house on The Hill since transferring to CU. 

It was a Thursday night. We had been hearing warnings of heavy snow heading our way for days, but didn't think much of it. We were both native Coloradans after all. We welcomed the idea of a big snowstorm! (Keane maybe even more than me)

I remember going to bed the night before it was supposed to hit and waking up to this. 

Epic blizzard in December of 2006

Yes, those white mounds behind Keane are cars, and that is a good 3+ feet of fresh snow piled atop my recycle bin. The weathermen were right and it all happened over night. 

Judging by the women's snow-pants that Keane is wearing in this photo (that didn't zip or button), we weren't at all prepared for this blizzard. 

Everything in our town shut down for a few days. Schools, businesses and roads were closed, flights were cancelled, and the news anchors discouraged anyone from leaving their house if they didn't have to. So we did what any self respecting, mature adults would do in our situation...we dug our way out of the house and trucked it on foot to the nearest liquor store to stalk up on beer for what was sure to be days of isolation. (Four feet of snow didn't stop liquor stores from making a profit off of hundreds of college students within walking distance who had nothing better to do than drink.)

For days, everyone in our neighborhood was out and about: skiing off their roofs (that's right), making snowmen, and sledding down the middle of the streets. With the help of my roommates and some of Keane's friends who managed to find their way to our house, we crafted the most legit igloo in town. 

I'm not kidding. This thing fit three adult males comfortably inside.

To make things even better, the skies decided to open up like this every Friday for the following three weeks.
Needless to say, we had a white Christmas that year.

And it was glorious. 

Thursday Throwback

When the time came for me to leave for college, Keane and I decided to stay together and attempt to date from a thousand miles apart. We committed to making trips back and forth to visit every other month which made the impending separation a little less daunting.

We said our teary goodbyes and I boarded a plane to begin the next chapter of my life. The excitement of meeting my new roommates, exploring my dorm and getting unpacked was quickly replaced by a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach once nighttime came. I remember walking outside for some privacy to call Keane and tell him how much I missed him. I recall the bench I sat on and how unbearably hot it was outside at 10:00pm in Arizona.

Over the next few weeks, the separation became easier on us both. I was occupied with reading text books, writing papers and making new friends, while he kept busy with football and whatever else it was that seniors did (read: slacking).

September came and passed and Keane decided that he wanted to "take a break" to date other people. To ease my devastation, I spent two full days crying in bed with the shades closed, blasting Celine Dion. My roommates (whom I had only known for a month, keep in mind) thought I was certifiably crazy and I didn't blame them. But after a few days of feeling sorry for myself and refusing to eat, I decided I wasn't going to be that girl any longer. I resolved to meeting new guys and accepting date invitations. By spring break however, Keane and I were back to speaking several times a day. He drove to Tucson to visit me for a week in March and it was like no time had passed. We decided to give a long distance relationship another shot.

2004- Tucson, AZ

2004 The Desert Museum- Tucson, AZ

We continued this on again off again relationship over the next two years. Looking back, I'm glad we took time apart throughout our first 5 years together. Although it was painful, we each had to be sure about the reasons we fell in love in the first place. After dating other people and eventually finding our ways back to one another time after time, we discovered that our love was more than just familiar and convenient. There was something about our connection that was very real. Even when we weren't in a relationship, we always cared deeply for each other and never let a night pass without calling "just to say goodnight."

2005 visiting Keane at college 

2005 visiting Keane at college

We got back together for the final time in 2006 at which point we committed to being in it for the long haul. We moved in together in 2007, got engaged in 2008, married in 2009, and now, two fur babies later and a month away from 2012, our relationship has never been stronger. I realize how lucky I am to be married to my best friend. He is the only person in the world I don't ever need space from. He knows my secrets, my pains and my sillies. As a young girl, I used to pray for my future husband– asking God to bless him and bring him into my life when the time was right. I believe with my whole heart that this is the man I was praying for.

2006 

2006 New Years Eve- Boulder, CO 

2007 Red Rocks

2007 Boulder, CO

Alright already. Enough sap. That, my friends, is the story of how I came to be a Ray. See part one here. 

Thursday Throwback

A few weeks ago, Keane's sister Kyla emailed me these photos with the subject line that read, "Remember this?" 

Do I ever. 

My memories of this time are fresh. 

We were 17. It was the summer before I was set to go off to college. In a few short months, I would be leaving my boyfriend with whom I was very much in love. We had dated for the last year and during that time, I spent a the majority of my evenings at his family's house. His parents treated me like one of their daughters, always including me in family events and supporting our relationship when a lot of other people didn't.

The teenage Keane taught me how to play, to be silly and to not take life so seriously. We spent countless nights just like this one, wrestling, laughing and being carefree high schoolers. His mom would laugh right along with us, encouraging our joy and capturing it with her camera. 

My heart had never felt so happy. 

As summer began to wind down however, I was confused by so many emotions. On one hand, I was heading off for my freshman year at the University of Arizona. I had my dorm assignment and I'd already met my future roommates over the phone. I was excited about my future and what college life would bring. On the other hand, I was leaving behind the first (and only only) boy I ever loved. Although three months older than me, he was a grade behind which meant his life would largely remain the same. He would continue to play football, attend school dances and go to The Hill for lunch. Only this year, it would be without me. 

I felt certain I didn't want to break up just because our paths happened to be leading in different directions, but I also resolved myself to the knowledge that long distance relationships were tough and we were young. People would tell me, "You don't need to be tied down," "Don't limit yourself," or "You're too young to have such a serious boyfriend."
Like so many other times in my life, I was conflicted between the advice of my heart and my head. 

Want to find out what happened next? Come back for part 2 of our story and more Thursday Throwback photos next week!